Summary: Oscar destroys the floor. Ruby really doesn't know when to quit. Piggyback rides return. Feat stupid canes and magical curses that also don't know when to quit. Oscar destroys a broom. For Reasons. Tyrian is still a thing I'm avoiding, but he at least gets a mention, so yay? Qrow breaks a glass and it flies everywhere. Cutlery seems to hate Oscar since he's always losing them under the table. Hugs are needed.
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A/N: You guys might have noticed that for Ao3 the official relationship for this is now recognised as "Rosegarden" since these two idiots won't leave me alone. Nothing explicit since the rating hasn't changed. I doubt I'd be able to write anything more than the reason I felt the needs to recognise the ship as something you probably won't be able to blindsight anymore. It is in future chapters (that I wrote in procrastination over writing the Tyrian fight scenes). So that's the reason if you're confused at the change.
For FF users, be aware of this fact when reading in the future.
Also, a big thanks to BloomingLight (FF & Amino) for letting me rant, and seeing them die from adorableness over these two dorks.
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Here take a ticket, welcome to my paradise. But there's a price to pay — When no one can remember that they've died. I've watched a thousand times, the sound of a burnt-out heartbeat. Here's all you reason — You can throw it to the wind. And I'd be lying to myself If I thought — "Now it's over." Maybe I should say it louder? Just listen to that echo. You take a step and hear the sound of warning, disregarded pain. Cause in the other side it's a promise — There's no more silence. Knock, knock, who's there? Not my laughter! I am drowning, falling faster. Racing on the tracks — The answers: Just another shattered flower.
—SharaX
(Melt Ver)
Other music for this chapter
Radical Face — Welcome Home
Snow Patrol — Set Fire to the Third Bar
Part 2 — Chapter 10
Oscar felt as if the universe had gone still as her arms wrapped around his neck, then snapped as her body crashed into his.
"Oscar!" She yelled out as everything metaphorically inside Oscar's head exploded at seeing her.
"—Miss Ruby!" He yelled out in surprise, with one arm coming up quick to cradle her head, while the other opening the cane and spearing it into the ground with muscle memory he didn't remember having a second ago, so he had that hand free to keep her there — to wrap around her waist. He didn't spare a thought to trying to figure out how Ozpin was standing next to him.
He wasn't expecting her to fly at him.
As she shifted into him, her grip on him weakening, Oscar literally heaved her up, to make sure most of her weight was on his shoulders as she nuzzled into him.
"Miss Ruby?" He asked, feeling her start to tremble. "How on Remnant…?" He voiced, in shock and a little in confusion.
"Foun' you…" He heard her mutter.
"…I didn't go very far, Miss Ruby." He reminded.
Ruby shook her head into his neck, still trembling.
"Did you rip anything when you woke?" Oscar asked, not exactly able to search her over with how close she was. He'd be damned if he was going to move her away.
When he had left her, she was plugged into a least two machines — ones of which were keeping her alive.
Ruby gave out an incoherent mumble.
"Perhaps, it might be best if you return Miss Rose to her bed, while I find her nurse?" Ozpin voiced.
Oscar looked at the man next to him. "Would you be able to apologise for the floor as well?" He asked, seeing as he kinda broke it with the cane.
Ozpin gave out a chuckle as he took out the cane from the floor, leaving a hole in its wake. "Or, I can just find Glynda." He said.
Oscar blinked as he shuffled Ruby again, feeling her slip. "Or that!" He said with his attention trying to go back to Ruby.
Oscar watched as Ozpin wandered down the hall, it was then he lost his self-battle on not focusing on her as he looked back to Ruby.
"Come on, Miss Ruby!" He said, straining with her weight again. "Normally you're the one giving me the piggyback ride!" He groaned.
Ruby just whined at him.
Yep. That was fair enough.
./.
Oscar nearly fell into her when gravity took Ruby from his back altogether, back onto the bed, he gave a yelp as he tried to make sure he wouldn't fall with her: his added weight would not help her breathe. He panted as he looked back to her: she had lost consciousness somewhere between hugging him to high heaven, and halfway between him hauling her up onto his back to get her back to her room.
But she still had hold of his hand, even while he went about getting onto his knees to stretch over her to put up the barrier up the other side of the bed. He wouldn't doubt she would fall, but she would at least fly out of her bed should she, unfortunately, wake up and he was out for the bathroom or something.
Oscar got off her bed, and she whined when he tried to let her hand go.
He regarded her, how she was able to be aware he was there, in the state she was in, he didn't know. "You need to let go, Miss Ruby…" He tried.
She just whined.
Yep. He wasn't getting his hand back.
It wasn't like he could say no to her anyway.
Oscar went about making sure the other rail was back up, he looked back to the chair and hooked his foot around it to bring it closer since it was too far away if she wasn't about to let his hand go.
It was then the nurse from before came into the room.
"She made an escape, huh?" She questioned.
Oscar just chuckled. "That she did. I figured we'd see if the bed rails would help the next attempt." He said brightly.
The nurse barked a laugh as she came around the bed to do her checks. "She is very lucky she didn't tear anything in her escape attempt. Do you expect another?" She asked, hooking the girl back up to a heart monitor that was connected via her finger.
Oscar thought about it. "Only if I'm not in the room. She kinda bunked the first time because I was out." He told her truthfully.
The nurse looked thoughtful. "We might need to make sure you don't leave then." She said playfully.
Oscar just laughed, though she was probably right. Either way, it would take a lot to remove him from her room.
./.
Ruby finally let his hand go, and he shook it to get feeling back into it.
The nurse was at Ruby's chart records as he pressed his fingers to life again.
"Did she give any recall she could talk?" She was asking.
Oscar looked at her and nodded. "She spoke before she went under again." He told her.
Anything else was immediately forgotten when Ruby grumbled. "Miss Ruby!" He said, jumping up so fast that he nearly jerked over the chair he was until just recently sitting in.
Oscar knew his face must have lit up like a damn beacon when she opened her eyes. But he didn't otherwise care very much.
"Ow…" She groaned.
"That's what happens when you wank wires, Miss Rose." The nurse commented.
Ruby looked at her, with a sheepish expression. "Whoops…?" She voiced.
Oscar snorted in amusement.
But the nurse smiled. "Please refrain from leaving your bed unless monitored or told otherwise, in the future Miss Rose." She told her.
"Got it." Ruby told her in a groan.
The nurse smiled as she put the chart back and came over to the other side of the bed, fetching what looked like a remote, that once pressed moved the bed into a sitting position.
"Now," She started, putting the remote back. "Tell me how you feel."
Ruby blinked, then categorised herself while looking herself over. "Uh… I kinda hurt… all over?" She asked more herself than anyone else.
"That makes sense." Qrow's voice filtered through from the door.
Both Oscar and Ruby looked at him.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby celebrated seeing him.
It brought a smile to the man as he walked into the room, making way for Ozpin to come back in as well.
The nurse looked at Qrow. "Her condition is more relatable to her being a Huntress?" She questioned.
Qrow who was dragging along the other chair looked at her and nodded.
The nurse brightened at that. "Well, that's a relief! She'll be fine in no time then!" She sighed in relief. "Just tell me your opinions once you're sure!" She told them, and just like that she left.
"…Are all nurses like that?" Oscar asked, perplexed at the nurse's sudden vanishing act.
"More or less." Ozpin told him.
Oscar just ended up shrugging, then got up to ruffle Ruby's hair. "Hey!" She giggled, but she made no move to stop him.
"Since you've got these guys, you won't mind if I leave for a second, will you?" Oscar asked.
Her eyes blew wide in silent panic, it was then her hands rushed up to grasp the wrist of the hand he still had on her head. "You're—You're coming back, though, right?" She asked.
Oscar gave her a gentle thump on the head with his now-closed fist. "You know it. Technically, I'm human too, I need the bathroom." He told her.
She just laughed.
Ruby looked back to Qrow and Ozpin once the wardroom door closed behind Oscar.
She might be in a little trouble since she didn't exactly tell anyone she was leaving.
Since she forgot scrolls no longer worked outside of city limits since the tower fell, and wouldn't work between schools. She tried once she got to Mistral.
"So, getting back to how you're feeling…" Qrow started.
Ruby nodded. "Hurt all over." She told him and watched that both men looked at each other.
"Do you remember when your elder emitted a silver light to harm Cinder?" Ozpin asked curiously.
Ruby flinched but nodded. "She did that to the Grimm a few times as well…" She muttered.
"You're in pain because you, yourself, have woken up that ability." Ozpin said.
Ruby blinked.
Huh.
"Well, I guess that makes sense." Ruby voiced.
"Though, for some reason, when you woke your ability, you fell so hard you were categorised as comatose. When you should not have…" Ozpin told her.
Qrow glared at her. "How long has that outburst being stewing for?" He asked.
Ruby chuckled nervously, shrinking back. "…How—How long have I been gone…?" She questioned timidly.
Both men blinked at each other than back to her. "Almost a year." Qrow told her.
Ruby just grumbled as annoyed as she could be when she felt like she had been thrown under several large-bodied Grimm. "Then about that long then." She said and crossed her arms.
"I'm not the only one who is angry that you left without a trace, Ruby." Qrow said sternly.
Ruby flinched.
She was in trouble.
./.
Both Ozpin and Qrow looked towards the door when they heard it open, only to see Oscar returning.
He closed the door behind him before walking back over to Ruby's side.
"Is she alright?" He questioned, looking to her sleeping form to them. He could gather she had exhausted herself just by talking.
Qrow nodded. "Just overdue." He said.
Oscar frowned, before he understood, before he sighed and sat in the chair he had claimed since day one of being in this room. "I told you she would be sad," He started, and Qrow flinched.
"How do you…?" Qrow asked, looking from a neutral-curious Ozpin back to Oscar.
Oscar got up and took hold of Ozpin's cane he was leaning against Ruby's bed.
"It's mine." He told them. He watched them look to each other in confusion. "Here," He elaborated, he automatically curled the weapon up as he twisted the weapon about, and he showed the underside of the release mechanism, and pointed out a little motif, that seemed etched out more than the others. "It happened at Mistral." He added.
"So it is from the other timeline…" Ozpin voiced, taking the cane back, and looking carefully at the gouge he hadn't noticed.
Qrow was too busy staring.
Oscar nodded. "Technically." He told them.
Qrow minded Oscar. "How much do you remember?" He asked, curiously.
Oscar looked at him "Hmm?" He voiced, then. "Oh. All of it." He said offhandedly.
"All of it?" Qrow echoed.
Oscar nodded. "From when Ozpin decided to talk to me at my farm, 'til now, yeah. It's weird, I'm getting used to it. Again." Oscar grumbled.
"All the other timeline stuff as well?" Qrow asked, incredulously.
Oscar's eyebrow rose at his question. "Unless I'm having a really weird hallucination, and no one else sees Ozpin standing next to you, then I'm really sure this Ozpin has never talked to me like that." Oscar retorted.
Ozpin eyed Qrow as the man stared at the two comically before he looked back to Oscar. "How are you doing?" Ozpin questioned curiously.
Oscar shrugged, but his head still notched to one side when Ozpin spoke. "A thousand years is a long time to get used to. Again." He said, then looked back to monitor Ruby. "…I still need to apologise to her…" He muttered, then sighed. "I knew she was going to be sad, but I really didn't think she would take on all of Anima to find me when she knew I wouldn't remember her…" Oscar told the, looking from Ruby back to Qrow. "I should have told you where I lived." He said, shrugging apologetically.
Qrow just sighed. "Not that it would have helped — she didn't tell anyone she left." Qrow growled.
Oscar blinked and sided his head. "How long…?" He asked, curiously.
"It's been almost a year since we last saw Miss Rose." Ozpin put forth.
They didn't mind Oscar cursing at that.
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It still tore at Oscar when he woke up in fright hearing Ruby scream.
Calling her name usually calmed her down, but Oscar never got his hand back.
It didn't make him feel any better knowing that her nightmares were about him leaving. Storms made things worse. And now he understood why.
./.
He looked up tiredly as the nurse came in. He may have gotten up earlier than he was used to, so he could make sure he wouldn't be seen beside her. It may cause unnecessary questions her screaming would have caused if he didn't.
"Where did the clothes she wore when she came in go?" Oscar asked her.
The nurse smiled and pointed to the wardrobe behind him. "Everything on her is in there, naturally her weapon is unloaded." She told him.
Oscar nodded.
"How is she today?" She asked, knowing as she had just started her shift, the boy never left the wardroom unless he needed to. She watched in silence as the boy got up and went towards the wardrobe, only to put out a blood-red tattered cloak that he draped over Ruby.
"She's able to walk to and from the bathroom." Oscar noted as he sat back down.
The nurse sided her head. "Oh? Then why is she asleep?" She questioned.
Laughter bubbled out of Oscar. "Because it's before eight." He told her.
If he had learnt anything with his own two personal lifetimes — it was that Ruby hated mornings.
He knew from Ozpin's memories that Ruby hated morning classes, and her and her two teams were often late for them.
It was a constant source of amusement.
It was how he knew something was troubling her, if she was up with the sun. It never boded well.
The nurse laughed. "Well, when she decides to get up. Tell her she can leave!" The nurse told him.
Oscar grinned. "Gladly." He noted.
./.
Oscar hadn't been in the grounds near the hospital as himself before so while Ruby was getting ready, dressed, and hunted down enough ammo to fill Crescent Rose, he would wander and wait for her. He knew she would be able to find him almost anywhere since she braved most of Anima — the hospital grounds should be child's play for her.
At the entrance courtyard, he met Yang, most likely on her way to see Ruby.
"Hey there!" She yelled, waving at him, once she got over her surprise at seeing him.
Oscar grinned. "Hey! How are you doing?" He questioned.
"On break from patrol." Yang told him. "You?" She questioned.
Oscar chuckled, but then stalled. "—Don't try it, Miss Ruby." He suddenly said completely deadpanned, then suddenly Ruby appeared at Oscar's side.
"No fair!" She cried as she pouted.
Yang stared. "Uh, what?"
"YANG!" Ruby yelled and launched herself at her sister.
Oscar laughed brightly at Yang's surprised look.
Even more when Ruby became a blabbering mess when trying to apologise.
Some things really didn't change.
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Both team RWBY and JNPR came to find both Ruby and Oscar, nostalgically back in the cafeteria hall.
The only difference was that the tables and chairs hadn't been pushed to one side chaotically, and Oscar was leaning against what looked like a wooden pole that may have once been a broom.
Where he got it, why he had mangled a broom in the first place, they really didn't want to know.
"No! Seriously! I can!" Ruby was trying to persuade him.
Oscar just cocked his head at her fondly, then in a split second, dropped into a crouch, and shoved out his pole out to take one foot out.
Ruby made a loud indignant screech: she flailed like an octopus as she lost her balance.
However, she didn't meet the floor, as Oscar quickly moved to grasp one of her flailing arms.
"See?" Oscar said to her.
Ruby just grumbled as she stalked over to the nearest bench to sit on it grouchily with a pout.
Oscar just laughed at her, as he twisted his pole around up onto his shoulders to lean his arms around it, so they hung off it.
It was then he noticed they had company.
"Hey!" He greeted warmly.
This cheered Ruby up.
Oscar watched as Ruby failed to try and apologise for leaving.
"I forgot that because the tower was down scrolls wouldn't work…" Ruby was saying.
He smiled at her, leant his borrowed would-be-in-a-pinch-weapon against the bench and wandered over to the food on offer uneasily.
He didn't know where it had come from. Maybe he could ask the cooks.
He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Oscar?" Ruby asked.
He turned to her and grinned. "Do you think if I ask, they'll tell me where the food came from?" He questioned.
"Why would you need to know that?" Jaune asked.
Oscar blinked at him. "Um… Because I grew up on a farm?" He questioned.
They all looked to each other.
Ruby giggled. "Maybe, if you ask." She told him.
Oscar grinned. "Great! I'll be back in a sec!" He said, then bounded off towards the kitchens.
./.
"So, you went off to find him, huh?" Weiss finally asked.
Ruby nodded. "Yep! Took ages!" She said.
"I'm actually amazed you found him in the first place." Blake told her.
She grinned. "It took me awhile, I only had so much to go off. At least it was only Anima and not the entirety of Remnant. That might have taken longer." Ruby noted.
The rest nodded.
They then noticed Oscar coming back, with an uneasy frown.
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked immediately.
Oscar responded by throwing her an apple. "Here," He said as she caught it easily. "It's from the last season, but it should still be good…" He told her.
Ruby just smiled at him gratefully.
"So…what's the frown for?" Yang asked.
"Most of the dishes are made with imported ingredients, of which they don't know the origins of. But they use them anyway because it's all they have." Oscar told them, letting Ruby have time to eat.
Aside from Ruby, they all looked to each other in confusion as to what his problem was.
Oscar, realising that what he was worried about, wasn't exactly something anyone else seemed to fret over and became increasingly embarrassed.
"I, um, growing up on a farm, I knew where everything came from…" He tried.
"Dunno 'bout you, but I got used to it." Ruby said between bites.
Because of this Oscar beamed at her.
The rest just shrugged.
./.
Most of them by now had come into the hall in search of food, the last to come in being Qrow.
Oscar poked his meal with his fork, not liking he had no clue what was in it.
Ruby, aside him seemed fine with inhaling it, much to his unease. Though, he had seen the several concerned looks she kept throwing his way, so he resolved to talk to her about it later.
He looked around and saw everyone else seemed fine, so it was just him who had the issue.
At least he was trying anyway.
"Speaking of which…" He muttered, not exactly having a thought to speech ability with his mind trying to sort out a maze of combined memories.
It caused everyone to look at him.
"On my way to Mistral, I met Hazel." Oscar said offhandedly.
He had the unfortunate moment to say that when Qrow was holding a glass.
Which he promptly dropped and smashed everywhere.
It caused most of the children to scream and duck out the way of flying glass.
Oscar blinked at him, all too unfazed with Qrow's bad luck, but noticed that Ozpin was also staring at him incredulously.
"Did he know who you are?!" Qrow burst out as suddenly as he dropped his glass.
Oscar scrunched up his nose. "Why the hell would he be interested in me?!" He asked, just as incredulous.
"Wait, who's Hazel?" Ruby asked, having gotten too many concerned looks aimed at her from her teammates.
Oscar suddenly dropped his fork, as if a terrible thought had just crossed his mind, the fork clattered onto the wooden table-top, then onto the bench only to fall underneath the table, as he looked back to Ruby who stalled seeing the fear in his eyes.
"You've been doing your Huntress missions anonymously, all over Mistral, right? For the past year?" He steamrolled into asking.
Ruby blinked, but nodded, noticing everyone else was curious as well.
"It might be because you've been moving around so much that you never got caught before, but if Hazel is about, then so is Tyrian." Oscar said.
They all stared.
They had heard that name before. Normally in conjunction with Salem being mentioned.
And it caused shivers to sprawl down all of their spines.
Ruby blinked at him, still not liking the raw fear in his eyes.
"…Should I keep moving?" She asked uneasily. Oscar glared at her. "Yeah, didn't think you'd approve of that, somehow." She said softly.
"Wait, hold up how do you know about Tyrian, and Hazel?" Jaune asked.
They all heard the boy muttering something about magical curses and stupid canes.
"So, Tyrian will be coming for me?" Ruby asked, looking from the adults around to her Oscar.
They all looked uncomfortable, yet Oscar just looked as if he was borderlining being more annoyed than angry.
"Most likely if you've gotten their attention. Which you probably have. Frozen dragon and injuring Cinder. And again, more recently with the bandits." Oscar said.
Ruby blinked in confusion, even though those first two things hadn't technically been her, how did Oscar even know…?
Oscar then looked over to Ozpin.
"…So, are we doing anything about Haven, or are we gonna let it fall like Beacon despite everyone's best efforts?" Oscar questioned, ignoring the astonished looks from RWBY and JNPR easily.
Ozpin shook his head. "We've kept a close eye on Haven and Leonardo, but due to the fact we're not meant to know, we haven't been able to accuse anyone, without solid proof here and now." He told him.
Oscar seemed to understand. "I really kinda hope you didn't send Qrow because the last time I sent him anywhere, all the people he tried to contact either wound up being lost or dead beforehand, and a certain motorbike came through a portal." Oscar told him.
Oscar nearly laughed at their faces.
He might as well have some fun while he was at it.
While Qrow just looked equal parts affronted and understanding.
Though, looking to Ruby, she seemed about ready to forget she needed to breathe.
"Miss Ruby, you need to remember how to breathe." He reminded her patting her back.
And suddenly what he had started calling her made that much more sense.
It was made clear that Ruby was able to dodge Salem's attempts at finding her, only because of her anonymity across the entirety of Anima during her search for Oscar: by the same extension of never being in the same place for too long.
But since her most recent mission had her use her credentials, as well as her eyes, it was all too clear of where Ruby was. Oscar doubted that the majority of them surrounding her would deter the slightly insane scorpion from coming at them all.
He was sure it wasn't just him that were on edge about that fact. From the reactions he got from the rest of RWBY and JNPR, they had been informed of who Salem was, and better – who Hazel and Tyrian were, enough for them to be alarmed, anyway.
What Oscar wasn't sure of, was how much of that Ruby actually understood.
He turned to her. "You understand that Tyrian wants your life, if not just to kidnap you first, yes?" He questioned to understand her headspace.
Ruby blinked at him but nodded. "I remember that conversation. I can gather who he works for doesn't exactly like us, as well." Ruby told him.
Oscar mentally breathed a sigh of relief and went to fetch his fork that had decided the floor was a better place to be when he dropped it previously.
"He'll know I'm here, though, right?" Ruby continued to ask, not just Oscar who was under the table by that point, but she looked to her uncle and to Ozpin as well.
"Right—" There was a loud bang, when Oscar's head collided with the underneath of the bench, and a string of pained words rang out from the boy, as well as a dig at Qrow, who just shrugged at the insinuation he caused it as Oscar reappeared with his fork, and rubbing his head in pain.
Ruby blinked at him in worry. "Are you alright?" She questioned.
Oscar nodded as he rubbed his head.
"Tyrian will most likely know your whereabouts by now, Miss Rose." Ozpin informed her.
Ruby looked alarmed. "Won't everyone else be in danger too?" She asked.
Oscar's fork clattered again. "I'm more worried about you!" He insisted, not the only one to stand up at her leaving herself out.
Ruby blinked and shrunk back at his intensity, not used to him being forceful in any way.
Oscar saw her reaction and sighed as he sat back down next to her. "I apologise." He muttered to her.
She blinked at him in confusion, not understanding why he was apologising, why he had always apologised, specifically to her, when he got too keyed up. "I know he's after me, solely, so I know I'm in danger. …I just didn't think he would care who go in the way…" She tried to explain.
"Everyone here understands the risks, and has made their choice to stay, Miss Rose." Ozpin told her.
Oscar was the one to look at him curiously, yet with a little questioning frown. But, he was soon back to focusing on Ruby, he pulled his legs up, to lean on them to gain the extra bit of height he needed to be on level with her, he reached out to grasp her chin to make her look at him.
"But do you understand this? That you may be a Huntress, you may have spent the last year being one fully, but currently, you cannot bear that burden, not as weak as you are coming straight from the hospital." Oscar told her firmly. He watched as her eyes watered. "I don't mean to disservice you, Miss Ruby," He continued as he wiped away a tear. "But if I can knock you over with a broomstick, there's something wrong." He told her.
Ruby weakly chuckled at him. "Then what…?" She asked.
"I think you're forgetting that you've got two extremely talented and extremely protective teams around you that don't do very well seeing you come to harm." He reminded her.
Oscar could see Yang about ready to pounce, more so when the tears started. She wasn't far ahead of the rest of her teammates.
Ruby chuckled wetly, she had forgotten, it wasn't too hard, and no one blamed her since she spent near on a year by herself.
Had there not been a table in the way, there would have been a group hug that would have involved all of team RWBY and JNPR.
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A/N: Up Next: Qrow attempts The Talk. It pretty much goes how you'd expect.